Back to the
Basics: Water Part 2 The Most Essential Nutrient. How
Much, What Kind?..
We plan to start a series talking about those nutrients
which are Essential to Life. A “Back to the Basics Series”.
Basic questions we need to answer are: Why is this molecule
or element Essential, What Purpose does it Serve, In What
Form is it Best Consumed and How Much do we need.
Water
Pronunciation:
w
t-
r,
n :
the liquid that descends from the clouds as rain, forms streams, Swimming
pools, lakes,
and seas, and is a major constituent of all living matter
and that is an odorless, tasteless, very slightly
compressible liquid oxide of hydrogen H2O which
appears bluish in thick layers, freezes at 0°C (32°F) and
boils at 100°C (212°F), has a maximum density at 4°C (39°F)
and a high specific heat, is feebly ionized to hydrogen and
hydroxyl ions, and is a poor conductor of electricity and a
good solvent. It is also wet, unless of course, it is
frozen, then it is cold. When you can't see through
it, we call it fog, and you need to slow down.
From
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Water (As We
Know It)
Essential
Pronunciation: ĕs`sĕn´sjal or
i-sen-chl
a
:basic and fundamental a: being a substance that is
required for normal functioning but cannot be synthesized by
the body and therefore must be included in the diet
s
:absolutely required and not to be used up or sacrificed
s :of the greatest importance s :absolutely
necessary; vitally necessary n :anything
indispensable ie don't leave home without it....More
important than Gummi Bears...
OK, I think you get the point.
Part 1: Why Water is Important
Now, Part
2: How Much and What Kind.
In my research for this article on water, so
many articles quoted (out of context I might add) from the
poem “Rime of the Ancient Mariner”, “Water, water,
everywhere and nor a drop to drink”. Every English
literature student eventually analyzed this familiar poem.
The obvious questions were what was that old sailor talking
about, and why. Quite obviously he was on a boat in the
middle of the ocean; and thirsty. As salt water is not fit
for drinking, and the constant sun can make one dehydrated,
the man had serious issues. And, I might add, as with the
poem, they were in seven parts! Oh gees, I am beginning to
relive college woes over a cliché. One issue that I do agree
on is that the Ancient Mariner was thinking about was what
water is appropriate to drink, (water everywhere) and the
volume of water to consume. (Drop, to drink). Anyway, I
will dwell on Mr. Mariner’s predicament: we all need water,
and we need a lot of water to keep us well.
How Much
Water:
As with everything in life there is a simple answer and a
more complicated answer. The simple answer is that we need
to intake enough water to replace our losses (urine, feces,
sweat and from breathing) or in medical terms we need to
intake enough water to maintain homeostasis. The absolute
requirement then is the amount needed to replace losses. To
maintain homeostasis as Goldilocks would say it has to be
“Just Right”. In humans, maintaining homeostasis is enabled
by mechanisms by which our bodies conserve water or by
drinking water. If all this works right, then our water
balance is maintained and we achieve homeostasis. If we are
not intaking enough water, our bodies for a while will
extract water from our cells or extracellular fluid and put
the fluid in our vascular system to maintain our blood
pressure and so we can continue to perfuse our organs. As
the cells become more dehydrated, eventually our blood
pressure drops and organ perfusion drops and organs suffer
and death follows. The world is now observing first hand
the slow death associated with lack of hydration in the very
sad Shiavo case.
Obviously, if there are abnormal losses
through feces (diarrhea), vomiting or sweating (sweat rates
can be as high as 3-4Liters per Hour!) there are needs for
increased intake. Mr. Mariner, make sure the air
conditioning is working on that boat, but then again air
conditioning is dehydrating.
The
Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine
has established we need 1.5ml for each calorie burned during
the day. So if we are burning 2000 cal per day we would
need 3000ml or 100oz or 12.6 8oz glasses of water per day.
In a Table from the Institute of Medicine
DRI
(Dietary Reference Intake) Manual for Electrolytes and
Water, there is a recommendation of an Adequate Intake
(AI) for men of 3700ml per day and women 2700ml per day so
this is a little higher. They have no Upper Limit (UL)
listed and state that there is “no UL because normal kidneys
can handle more than 700ml or 24oz per hour or a total of
16.8Liters per day." Now that’s a lot of water!! Another
rule of thumb is that we should intake 32oz for every 50lbs
of body weight. For a 150lb man that would be 3 Quarts per
day or 2800ml per day which is about what the Food and
Nutrition Board recommends. So the bottom line is that most
of these recommendations are a little more than the standard
8 8oz glasses, 2 quarts or 1920ml per day. And it appears
most Americans are getting even less than this. In a 521
page document entitled "Estimated
Per Capita Water Ingestion in the United States",
the Environmental Protection Agency, sampled 20,261
Americans over a two day period. The mean intake of this
sampled group was 1242ml or only 41oz from all sources!
So, this writer has covered the first of the Ancient
Mariners issues of how much water and most of us need to do
better.
Our
Recommendation: A Quart, 32oz for every 50lbs of body weight
should do it. So, let's see, a 5Liter Box wine =5000ml =
166oz =5.2 quarts should last 2 days for a 130lb man or
woman. But remember, as
Oscar Wilde stated, "I have made an important discovery…that alcohol, taken in
sufficient quantities, produces all the effects of
intoxication."
What Kind
of Water:
First, it has been established in a recent article from the
Center for Human Nutrition, “The
effect on hydration of two diets, one with and one without
plain water.”
that we can get our water needs from other beverages and
food. In other words, you don’t need to drink plain water
if you are getting enough from other sources. In their
study, water intake from food was 558ml and from beverages
other than water (Coffee, Cola, Orange Juice) was 2057ml for
a total of 2615ml per day and on this diet they were unable
to demonstrate any changes in indexes of hydration versus a
diet where the beverage was strictly water.
The choices for Plain water are Tap Water
(San Antonio Water System,
SAWS,
Edwards
Aquifer), Filtered Tap Water, Distilled Water, Bottled
Water or Well Water. Common sense tells us we should drink
water free of contaminants, pathogens, and other harmful
ingredients. Certainly the development of large scale water
purification systems has had one of the most profound
positive influence on the health of our population in
general. In many parts of the world, contaminated water,
especially with pathogens is a serious cause of illness and
death. And in disaster situations such as the recent
Tsunami in Asia, a rapid supply of clean drinking water was
paramount to avoid illnesses such as cholera which can
spread rapidly.
Tap Water:
First, let’s cover safety of tap water. We take for granted
that our tap water is safe but it should be obvious that
there are many ways in which our tap water could become
contaminated. At Inside Outside, we don’t recommend that
you drink tap water. To get a clear picture of the
potential for our tap water to become contaminated please
visit the Natural Resources Defense Council site. There is
detailed information on the dangers of drinking tap water
and unless a lot of money is spent on upgrading our public
water purification plants the problem will only get worse.
Recent studies by the Natural
Resources Defense Council found that 18,500 of the
nations water systems laws (serving some 45 million
Americans) water at some point were violated during 1994 and
1995! This report accounted for 900,000 illnesses per year
and even 100 deaths. In 1993 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin the
water system was exposed to Cryptosporidium, 400,000 became
ill and 100 died. Bottom Line, Avoid Tap Water.
Filtered
Tap Water:
The best way to insure that your water is
safe is to drink filtered/treated tap water. The
National Sanitation Foundation
International (NSF) is the organization that validates
the claims that water treatment manufactures make so the
system you chose to treat your water should be NSF Certified
for sure. Their site contains a very detailed review of the
different water treatment technologies. All of these
systems require regular maintenance to operate effectively
and this most often involves changing filters. The
filtration systems remove a variety of chemicals including
lead and chlorine, sediment, cysts, agricultural products
and industrial pollutants. A typical system is made by Pur
Water and their contaminants they remove are listed
here. Consumer Reports Best Buy is the Kenmore38460
Model costing $80.00 for the undersink model and the Pur
Advantage CR-1500 is their choice for a Cafafe model. We
have a printout of the Consumer Report of Jan 05
available. Finally, filtering tap water is much
cheaper than using bottled water.
Bottled
Water: First, bottled water is more
expensive than gasoline, which in an of itself blows my
mind. Second,
Bottled water isn't necessarily any safer
than tap water. About one-quarter of bottled water is tap
water that has been processed and repackaged, according to
industry estimates. While bottled-water companies must hew
to rules for sanitary production, some standards for bottled
water are stricter than for tap, such as those for fluoride
and lead. But some are not. Bottled-water companies aren't
required to disinfect or test for parasites such as
Cryptosporidium or Giardia--a requirement for city tap
water. There are several types of bottled water.
Spring water.
This comes from an underground formation and must flow
naturally to the earth's surface or through a sanitary
borehole.
Purified
drinking water.
This has been processed to remove chlorine and a
majority of dissolved solids, such as magnesium. The source
need not be named unless it is untreated public-source
water.
Naturally
sparkling water. This is naturally
carbonated from a spring or artesian well.
Seltzer.
The FDA regulates this as a soft
drink, under rules less strict than those for bottled water.
Mineral water.
Typically spring water, it contains dissolved
solids--usually calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium,
silica, and bicarbonates
Go to the
BottledWaterWeb for a table of Leading
Bottled Water Brands Available in the United States.
Distilled
Water:
Distillation is the process in which water is
boiled, evaporated and the vapor condensed. Distilled water
is free of dissolved minerals in general and is often
tasteless. Some alternative practitioners used distilled
water as part of a detoxification program. Systems to
distill water can be expensive. Immunocompromised patients
might benefit from this pure form of water. Distilled water
is often acidic and our bodies prefer the alkaline state.
So Mr.
Mariner here it is: Filtered Tap Water and 1 Quart for
every 50lbs you weigh should do it. Good Luck!
Next Month: Minerals Part 1
"Marco Polo, Selenium and other Stories" "We're Radical Because we
Insist on the Basics"
References:
The effect on hydration of two diets, one with and one
without plain water.
PDF File for Download.
Grandjean AC, Reimers KJ, Haven MC, Curtis
GL.
J Am Coll Nutr.
2003 Apr;22(2):165-73.
The Center for Human Nutrition, School of
Allied Health Professions, University of Nebraska Medical
Center
Hydration: issues for the 21st century.
PDF File for Download.
Grandjean AC, Reimers KJ, Buyckx ME.
Nutr Rev. 2003 Aug;61(8):261-71
The Center for Human Nutrition, School of Allied Health
Professions, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Study Finds Safety of Drinking Water in U.S. Cities at
Risk
NRDC reports on the drinking water systems of 19 cities and
finds that pollution, old pipes and outdated treatment
threaten tap water quality.
Bottled Water
Pure Drink or Pure Hype?
The World Water
Crisis is serious and widespread, but there is hope. All
over the world, people are working to resolve this crisis,
and prevent the death and suffering of millions of children
and their families. Get involved in
World Water Day 2005 - March 22nd
- and become part of the solution!
Desalination & Water Purification
This report provides current estimates
of water ingestion and body weight for the population of the
U.S. and selected subpopulations including pregnant women,
lactating women and women of child-bearing age.
|
World of Water at the Witte
World debut of
3-D simulation of journey through an underground
aquifer
 |
Flood your senses!
Dive into the World of Water
exhibit at the Witte Museum, March 5-Sept.
5, 2005.
|
|
|
World of Water is an
interactive, hands-on exhibit full of fun and
learning experiences. With stories of floods and
droughts, the exhibit illustrates the history of
water use in South Texas, from pre-historic times
through the Spanish colonial period, up to today.
Visitors to World of Water will
get the opportunity to view endangered Texas Blind
Salamanders and other creatures that dwell in the
Edwards Aquifer ecosystem; flow through the Edwards
Aquifer as a water drop in a 3-D simulation
environment; and enjoy The Many and Wonderous
Adventures of Splish and Splash, a live gallery
theater production, following the adventures of two
water drops as they move through the water cycle.
World of Water is an
exceptional collaboration of regional agencies and
universities, partnering to tell the true story of
water in South Texas. Among the many partners are
the San Antonio Water System, San Antonio River
Authority, Edwards Aquifer Authority, the
Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, the University of
Texas at Austin, the University of Texas at San
Antonio, and the University of the Incarnate Word. |
The only way to find out if your water is safe is to
have it tested by a laboratory.
You typically cannot tell if water is safe by the way it
looks, tastes, or smells. Dangerous levels of
contaminants are measured in parts per million, or billion,
by sophisticated laboratory equipment. These levels cannot
be detected by human senses.
Recommendations for Using Fluoride to
Prevent and Control Dental Caries in the United States
Comprehensive Report of the Fluoride Recommendations
Work Group
August 2001
The Fluoride Debate .PDF file
Healthy Water Healthy People Web Site.
Established
in 1881, AWWA is the
authoritative resource for knowledge, information and
advocacy to improve the quality and supply of drinking water
in North America and beyond.
25 Facts About Water
Dawn Blem
Certified Nutritional Consultant
Contact Dawn Blem
Marketing Update:
Seminars, Radio,
POSH 2005 Bridal Show!
The March edition of San Antonio Good News featured
our offer of a Free DXA Body Composition Analysis, Zone Prescription and
a Free SuperSlow®
Workout!
San
Antonio Good News Website
On
22 Mar 05, Dr. Christian gave his
Seminar entitled "The
6 Components of
Optimal Health and Aging" with an emphasis on Combining the Zone
Nutrition Program and SuperSlow
®
Strength Training for employees of Zachry Construction. Door prizes were
3 DXA Bone Density Scans, 2 MicroDerms and the Grand Prize, 16
SuperSlow Sessions!
Zachry Website
.
During the month of March there aired a series of Public Service
Announcements regarding our offer of a free Facial Analysis.
KZEP Web Site._
Dr. Christian's interview with Karen Clauss of Magic 105 was reaired again
in March. The interview focuses on SuperSlow
®
and the Zone Nutrition Program and nails down the importance of these two
strategies as the best way to lose fat and maintain or increase muscle at
the same time.
Inside
Outside will introduce their
Bridal Boot Camp
at POSH 2005 on 15 May 2005. POSH 2005 is produced by
Stephanie
Brunner, a San Antonio Based Wedding Coordinator and Design Consultant.
Unlike conventional bridal shows, POSH Brides is an elite bridal
event focused on enabling brides and grooms to visit one-on-one with wedding
professionals in a relaxed atmosphere.
Visit
Stephanie's Exquisite Events
and the
POSH 2005 Site_
Speaking of
Brides, Christina Alfaro Tatavak, The Daughter of SuperSlow
® Client Deena Alfaro was featured on the
cover of the Spring Edition of Texas Brides! Deena is a Testing Coordinator
at Northside Independent School district. Click on the picture for a
larger version.
From Dr. Sears' Monthly
Newsletter
The OmegaZone E-Magazine
"For years the medical establishment has been telling
Americans that fighting heart disease means a war against
cholesterol. Slowly but surely, like the powerful Wizard of
Oz façade, the cholesterol story has been slowly eroding.
Now the scientific data is shifting more to inflammation as
the underlying cause of heart disease. Of course, this makes
common sense since the number-one drug to prevent a heart
attack is an aspirin. Although aspirin has no effect on
cholesterol levels, it has a dramatic effect on reducing
inflammation. Recent articles in the New England Journal of
Medicine have again confirmed the importance of inflammation
on heart disease. A crude indictor of inflammation,
C-reactive protein, appears to be more powerful than bad
cholesterol levels in predicting future heart attacks.
But what if there was an even more powerful predictor of
inflammation that could predict heart attacks? As I describe
in my newest book, “The Anti-Inflammation Zone,” such a
blood marker exists. It is the ratio of arachidonic acid
(AA) to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). This marker of
inflammation precedes C-reactive protein by years. You could
take drugs, such as statins, on a lifetime basis to reduce
C-reactive protein. Of course, there are some side
effects, such as memory loss, muscle weakness, neuropathy,
and liver damage. But statins don’t reduce the AA/EPA ratio
– they actually increase it. On the other hand, taking
high-dose fish oil reduces the AA/EPA ratio, and the only
known side-effect is to make you smarter. The amount of fish
oil you need to reduce inflammation depends on how well you
control insulin in your diet. The more you control insulin
by following the Zone Diet, the less fish oil you need. On
the other hand, the less you control insulin, the more fish
oil you need. The choice is yours. Whatever approach (drugs
or diet) you choose, just keep in mind that controlling
inflammation is a much wiser medical approach to reducing
heart attacks than controlling cholesterol."
Let us know if you want the
AA/EPA test. The Cost is $300 and includes a consult
with Dr. Christian to discuss the results. We also
talk about the AA/EPA test in detail in our Omega Zone
Seminar.
Visit Dr.
Sears Web Site.. Join the Forums and Sign up for his
Newsletter.
Amanda's SuperSlow® Corner:
" The 7 Preliminary Considerations"
Okay,
here’s a test. Does anyone remember what the Preliminary
Considerations are when it applies to your SuperSlow
workout?These are the 7 Things that Ken Hutchins, the
founder of SuperSlow®
wants us to cover before you work out!??? I’ll give you
some hints…we went over them in the power point presentation
in your initial consultation. There are seven of them.
They are basically precautions or do and don’ts that your
SuperSlow®
instructor wants you to know about BEFORE you ever attempt
to do a workout. Any ideas???
Well, you may or may not remember the details
of these very important workout precautions. In the next
few newsletters, I’ll go over each consideration in detail.
Okay, do you give up??? Today, I’m going to
give you two of the Seven Preliminary Considerations. The
first is:
1. Learn SuperSlow
Your first workouts are for learning.
Don’t be disappointed if you don’t get a good workout on
your first few workouts. It is more important to learn
proper form and concepts from the beginning. This new
learning requires some discussion, practice and rehearsal.
The intensity will come.
Again, I
want to STRESS …. It’s not about the WEIGHT!!! It’s MORE
important to learn good form in the beginning so that you
are using the right muscle group to perform the exercise.
(I’ll be watching!!!)
2.
Breathe-Don’t Val Salva
Breathing is very important in a SuperSlow
workout. Val Salva is a fancy term for holding your breath.
It is only natural that when we exercise
intensely we tend to hold our breath or Val Salva. On the
surface, it might seem that Val Salva is simply when you
stop breathing but that is not really the case. Val Salva
actually causes pressure to be placed against a closed
glottis. This then prevents venous return to the heart,
lowers cardiac output, raises blood pressure and under the
right circumstances, can lead to stroke, paralysis, or
death. It is very easy to avoid this and make the risk of
these things very low by breathing.
In an intense SuperSlow®
workout you may need to breath between 30-40 respirations
per minute. Remember to relax the face and neck almost like
you were asleep. Let the jaw hang off the face and breathe
naturally. Be sure not to make additional sounds when you
are breathing such as grunting, hissing or exaggerated jaw
movements.
Again, there is a natural association between
intense exercise and holding your breath and Val Salva. We
want to break this association by reminding you that
breathing makes it go away. In the beginning, you may get
dizzy but it won’t hurt you and it getting dizzy is much
more preferable to the dangers of Val Salva. Eventually,
you will learn how to breathe without forced or excessive
ventilation.
Finally, don’t excessively grip, grimace or
grit your teeth because these also raise your blood
pressure.
Read next month’s newsletter for more on the
Seven Preliminary Considerations.
Amanda Antonini, SuperSlow®
Instructor
Contact Amanda
Antonini
Intense Pulsed Light
Skin PhotoRejuvenation
Through April!
Home
Page
Hutchins,
SuperSlow Exercise Specialist, the founders of SuperSlow
Certification Testing. I had been preparing for about 3
months, reading the Manual entitled,
Ken
spent time designing and actually building some of the
equipment. 
